Record rack



April 12, 1966 c. D. DOUTHIT RECORD RACK Filed March 28, 1963 INVENTOR CARL D. DOUTH IT ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3,245,735 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 3,245,736 RECORD RACK Carl D. Douthit, 224 VistaCircle, Macon, Ga. Filed Mar. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 268,711 ,4 Claims. (Cl. 31214) Thisinvention relates to articles of various kinds used in many ways in various habitable locations, and to cabinets and other holders for containing and retaining articles of different kinds for convenient accessability and removal ofthe same kind.

The invention relates particularly to holders for multiple' small-articles suchas, for example, albums or recordings, files, books, pictures, tile and other objects so that they can be readily placed in the holder and by a slight tilt have a substantial portion exposed for viewing or to enable each to be readily removed or returned to its initial position.

Racks or-holders for square objects of the aforementioned kind including record albums have been of construction that the contents thereof could not be readily distinguished or removed without exercising care and spending "a substantial amount of time as well as a substantial amount of effort looking for and removing the same, occasioned -by the necessity to grip and pull the album forwardly and then remove it, the entire operation being'manual.

It is an object-of the invention to provide a record rack or holder for albums or recordings which may be retained in an easilyaccessible and identifiable manner .at all times and supported on a generally horizontal surface joined by a downwardly inclined surface, whereby when supported upon the generally horizontal surface only enough of the album rests .thereon so that the album can. be engaged and tipped forward causing it to rest upon the downwardly inclined surface exposing enough of the upper portion of the album to be readily accessible and identifiable.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple, inexpensive and satisfactory means by which square objects such as record albums may be held for easy quick access and identification on a generally horizontal surface with an adjoining downwardly inclined surface onto which the lower edge of the album can be tipped forward and its lower edge allowed to rest upon such inclined surface to make readily available identification of the album or the article or the rearward tipping of the album to return it to its position on a horizontally supported surface.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged section on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a perspective of a modified type of rack of wire or other material; and

FIG. 4, a section on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

Briefly stated, the invention is a rack or holder for relatively thin, flat record albums or other objects and includes a base with a generally horizontal supporting surface of a width slightly greater than one-half the dis tance of the opposite lateral edges of the album so that the album can rest on such horizontal surface and the base having a downwardly and forwardly inclined surface with the joint between such surfaces forming a pivot or fulcrum so that the album may be overbalanced or tipped slightly so that it will rest on the inclined surface exposing the upper corner portion of the album to enable the album to be easily identified and either removed or tipped back to its initial position, the invention contemplating that the horizontal and inclined supporting surfaces be incorporated in a cabinet or in a wire or other type of rack without a cabinet.

With continued reference to the drawing in accordance with the present invention two types of racks are disclosed, the first comprising a base having a generally horizontal surface 10 the forward edge of which is connected to a downwardly extending inclined surface 11 with the joint between them defining a pivot or fulcrum P on which a contained article can pivot.

Above the surface 10 is a series of generally parallel partitions 12 between which is aseries of record albums 13 or other relatively thin flat objects. Such record albums preferably have identifying marks 14 on each upper corner portion of the same so that the albums may be arranged in either right hand or left hand alignment. The surface 10 from front to back is of a width slightly greater than one-half the width of the record album or is slightly wider than the distance from one edge to the center of gravity so that the surface 1.0 will support the full weight of the album in its normal position.

The albumvprojects forwardly and overhangs the .inclined surface 11 and since the record album is slightly less than twice the horizontal surface 10, a slight tilting forwardly of the record album by engagement of the finger tip with the upper corner of the album will cause the album to tilt forwardly until .it engages the surface 11 rendering its identifying indicia in the upper corner visible. The'tilting of the album shifts the center of gravity to the inclined surface and the album will remain on such surface until it is tilted back onto the surface 10. A retention ledge 15 is disposed across the entire front of the surface 11 to prevent the record albums from sliding out of the holder. It is noted that the surface 11 may be of a width whereby the albums may pivot directly into contact with the ledge 15 or-such surface may be slightly longer to permit limited sliding of the album. It will be apparent that the farther the ledge 15 is from the fulcrum P the more the album will be exposed to sight with the only limitation being the inner edge of the album should remain between the albums resting on the horizontal surface so that the album which has been tilted will not fall sideways.

The aforementioned described structure may be contained within a cabinet 16 or may be made to include merely the album supporting structure with the remainder of the cabinet omitted. If desired the album supporting structure may be incorporated in the cabinet of a conventional record player (not shown).

A modified record rack or holder is disclosed in FIG. 3 including a generally horizontal supporting structure 10 of wire or the like with forwardly inclined portion 11'. The rack of this figure may have a pivot bar P, a pair of braces 17 and 18 connected to arched end members 19 having depending support engaging legs 20 and 21. At the rear of the rack there is a retaining ledge or strip 22 and a similar ledge or strip 23 at the front of the rack. A series of partition members 24 may be located between the end members to assist in maintaining record albums 13 in upright readily accessible position. This construction of the pivot bar P corresponds to the line which forms a joint between the horizontal surface 10 and the inclined forward surface 11.

In operation, record albums or other relatively thin, flat objects with identifying indicia on at least one side are placed upon the generally horizontal surface with the center of gravity thereof located slightly rearwardly of the fulcrum. The albums may be tilted forwardly onto the inclined surface by applying a slight pressure with the fingertip on the desired album. The tilting of the album will shift the center of gravity onto the inclined surface and will expose the indicia thereon. If the tilted album is the one being sought, such album may be removed from been played, such recording is replaced within the album.

and the album may then be returned to the same location on the supporting structure or may be placed in any other desired location thereon.

' It will be apparent that the position of the albums relative to the supporting surfaces could be reversed so that the albums would normally rest on the inclined surface and could be tilted onto the generally horizontal surface.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for generally square flat objects comprising a base having a generally horizontal supporting area joined by a downwardly inclined supporting area, said generally horizontal area being of a width slightlygreater than half the width of the square objects and with the joint between such generally horizontal and downwardly inclined areas providing a pivot or fulcrum about which square objects may be tilted by a mere tip of the finger and when the object is in its forwardly tilted position it:

can be readily identified and removed or by a slight finger tip action returned to its initial position.

2. In a cabinet for holding relatively square flat objects comprising a rear wall, side walls operatively associated with said rear wall, a top operatively associated with said side and rear walls, and doors swingably mounted on said side walls for selective concealment of an object within the thus provided enclosure, said cabinet having a base for said objects comprising a flat generally horizontal supporting surface and a second generally 4. a flat surface inclined downwardly from the first, said generally horizontal surface b'eing'of a width slightly greater than half the width of the square objects to be supported and with the joint between such surfaces providing a pivot or fulcrum about which the objects may be tilted forwardly and rearwardly by a mere tip of the finger and a retention ledge on said second surface whereby-when the object is in its forwardly tilted position a sufficient portion of it may be viewed to enable identification of the object and the object may .be. readily removed, or by a reverse tilt can be returned to its initial position.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said surfaces are generally solid.

4. The structure of claim 2 in which said downwardly inclined surface terminates in the retention ledge for limiting movement of the object at least in one direction, and with the majority of said square flat objects remaining within the confines of said sidewalls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDEiA. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, CHANCELLOR HARRIS,

Examiners. 

2. IN A CABINET FOR HOLDING RELATIVELY SQUARE FLAT OBJECTS COMPRISING A REAR WALL, SIDE WALLS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID REAR WALL, A TOP OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SIDE AND REAR WALL, AND DOORS SWINGABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SIDE WALLS FOR SELECTIVE CONCEALMENT OF AN OBJECT WITHIN THE THUS PROVIDED ENCLOSURE, SAID CABINET HAVING A BASE FOR SAID OBJECTS COMPRISING A FLAT GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING SURFACE AND A SECOND GENERALLY FLAT SURFACE INCLINED DOWNWARDLY FROM THE FIRST, SAID GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SURFACE BEING OF A WIDTH SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN HALF THE WIDTH OF THE SQUARE OBJECTS TO BE SUPPORTED AND WITH THE JOINT BETWEEN SUCH SURFACES PROVIDING A PIVOT OR FULCRUM ABOUT WHICH THE OBJECTS MAY BE TILTED 